Jamie Carragher has rated Xabi Alonso as the best player he played alongside at Liverpool, apart from Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez.

The former Reds defender was asked the question in a Daily Mail members event at Northcliffe House in London on Tuesday evening which as hosted by the paper's head of sport Lee Clayton.

Craggier suggested that Bayern Munich midfielder Xabi was alongside two prolific Reds strikers, but behind Gerrard and Suarez, on his list of top Liverpool colleagues.

"The first one that springs to mind is Xabi Alonso," said Carragher.

"I was devastated when he left for Real Madrid and he is still a key member of Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich side.

"I think we sometimes forget how good Michael Owen was at 18 because of what came after that with the injuries and signing for Manchester United. I totally get that and I told him that. Sometimes when you start so well you can only go one way.

"He did so much so young, similar to Robbie Fowler, so his best years were at 20 and 21. You can put Fowler in that bracket as well."